Senses:// Re-engineered

Just had the strangest week! Interesting twists to the plot and turn of the tide! Went through the whole work thing Spartan-style! Charged into some major work head-on and did the best I could. The people who gave me the work can obviously tell how much I have put in and were all quite impressed with how much I am willing to do and am capable of doing. So much so that Loukas, the CAD technician, currently semi-promoted (more responsibility but no pay-rise) to organising the computer drawings workload between the technicians, is willing to give me more and more opportunities to take on more complex tasks. This coupled with my previous appraisal from my line manager equates to me gaining some powerful allies! With all this going, I would be a fool not to ride this missile to the end, Dr Strangelove-style! During a small meeting with my new Divisional Director and Line Manager, I popped the big question on whether it would be possible for the company to sponsor me through the rest of my degree. They seemed open to the suggestion and asked for official records of my grades from university and I can see that their eyes literally lit up when I told them that I got a first class honour and a scholarship for my performance in first year, then missed the first class by 1 marks in second year but am confident that I will get it back in third year. Everything was in a state of flight until I bumped into my old Division Director in the toilet.

"I remember" he said to me,
"How do you mean?",
"You blog... I know I didn't get back to you on that but I remember...".

The weird thing was that I wasn't sure what he was getting at until I sat down and thought about it that evening. So with everything else going so so well, something might bump up from the past to bite me on the arse! The previous Divisional Director could say something to my line manager or the new guy in charge which could chip some score on my sheet. He could intervine and object to the descion of me being hired again next summer. So many things could go tits up just when things are finally back on the move for me. Having said that, I guess its the little twists and turns in life that make it worth living! I love real-life dramas! :D

Had such a long day! I was told that some design drawings need to be done by today so I went in early this morning to make a head start. Got in 0815 only to find that my work was saved in another folder on the network. Spent the better half of an hour messing about to get the file opened again. Spent ages doing correcting some of the stuff and the guy who I was doing the drawings for kept riding me all day and kept taking over helm of the computer. It was well fucking annoying! I mean if he wanted to do it so bad then he might as well have done the whole thing himself. If he gave me something to do then he should trust me and let me do the thing on my own. Didn't get out from work until 1800! Thats almost 10 hours in work!!! On top of that, there were "good" news from my manager. The clients have requested the reports to be split into smaller report for submission. She actually thought it was a good thing until I did the number with her. Turned out that in total, there will be over 50 folders we need to submit!!! 50 folders!!! :(

And to close the day off, I had to go to the other side of Manchester to pick up my set of keys! I admit it was my fault for drinking too much and passing out in my friend's living room and I should have checked if my keys have fell out of my pocket before I left. Either way, I spent the whole week calling the guy and who didn't respond until today!!! I already told him that I might have left my keys at his place on Sunday and it's taken him till today to actually look in his living room and get back to me that he's found my keys! Honestly, I couldn't believe it! Afterwards, I had to wait ages for a bus so I started walking when a bus went pass, so I walked to the next stop and the same thing happened! Honestly, by the time I got on a bus, I was so fuming and having an empty stomach did not help at all! In the end, I got home so late that even the bus driver was cracking jokes about me being in my shirt and tie at that time of night!

Oh well, I am glad that the weekend is almost here! Going to be out to a few bars tomorrow night and then possibly go to a fire party. Met a fellow fire artist couple of weeks back, she said he was invited to a fire juggling party but don't know if she will have the money for the train ticket. If not then I will probably go back to Liverpool to pick up some stuff. Still need to repair some of the fire gear! I have managed to break another piece of my equipment the other week and even though a new set of fire chains I have order from the internet have arrived a couple of days ago, it doesn't feel right to be without my main prop! Anyway, I should get that sorted by next week!

Had another good week. The encouragement from the Divisional Director to explore new avenues in going about engineering problems has lead me into experimenting with using Google Sketchups for the construction some of the drawings. Lukas, one of the CAD tech, who has been semi-promoted to dish out the work, caught a glimpse of what I was doing and joked that since I am going some CAD-related work, I can be considered to be a CAD asset. I replied that I am that I am always up for a challenge. Couple of days later, I was up and running doing some basic detailing on train station schematics. Did a pure rave scene with the work: Whacked on some dirty, heavy beats on my iPod, wired in and blasted through the job. My new Line Manager was quite impressed with the my motivation and the work load I was going through. Words came from two colleagues that she was so impressed that she is hoping of trying to retain me for the next two summers then possibly try to employ me when I am done with my degree. It's strange how things can take a turn like that! Last summer I was getting completely blasted all over the show by Kasia, the work was dull and the people were drones. I was almost completely broken by what happened in Birkenhead, the experience was so negative that I was only too glad to see the back of the place. The Ferry trip back to the home side felt so bad that it was like my very own Dunkirk. I was demoralised, unfocused and was so put off from the industry that I was literally dragging my arse through the second year. This year, I have hit the beach running and am making head way in one of the top 5 company in UK to the extend that I am making a noticable splash within the company. I guess there were several good calls that helped decide such a radically different result to date:


Cutting Down Play
Compare to the five festivals of 2007, having just one mother-of-all festival has paid dividend. Glastonbury was more than enough to satisfy my lust for partying and instead of coming to work all hollowed out, weeks after weeks like last year, the afterglow was more than enough to kept me going for a long while. Plus keeping myself relative clean from toxins have no doubt improve my performance a lot in comparison to my hollowed-self of yesteryear!

An Early Start
Commencing my work placement early and taking a pre-emptive strike no doubt made a difference to the overall position between me another the other work placement. I would like to think that we are mutually supportive and have respect for one and other. During her first couple of days, I did my part to help introduce her to the office with the motivation that she was a fellow budding engineer-to-be (and that she was cute :p). However, as pointed out by a member of my team, to think that there is absolute no competition between us would be too complacent and naive. If the resources and workloads were limited (which it was!), then the ability to secure the best works would provide a good platform on which I can display my ability. Being there early meant that by the time the other placement started, I have already established an understanding with members of the team, enough that I was fed some of the more interesting leftover scraps. That in turn have kept me more interested and motivated so I was able to plow through the work with more vigour and purpose.

The Works
Without a doubt, the work given to me during this summer placement was A LOT more interesting than what I had to sit through last year. Knowing that the end product would somehow be of use to the public, that this work could potentially outlast our own lifetime was a great incentive indeed. Even when given some of the drier content to sieve through, the nature of the project was enough to have kept me going at a reason pace while producing work of a reasonable standard.

The People
I honestly can not think any more highly of the people who works in the company. Before I started, I heard rumours that people from the top 10 company in UK tends to have a chip on their shoulder but I didn't get any of that during my time on the placement. People were friendly, interesting and very encouraging. Each have their own personality, aspirations and cool things to talk about. During my adventures, I have came across leaders who would later go on to lead soldiers into battle, teachers who would continue to be shepherds of future generations and medics who are healers of the hearts and minds. Even when place side-by-side with such people, some people from the company shines just as brightly, displaying similar (if not higher) degree of charm, grace and integrity. They are people, I should aspire to become and compare to the people at the last placement, this all feels like a world apart! Needless to say, that the positive atmosphere the company have foster played a key role in allowing me to perform to the best of my abilities.


It is definitely a little too early to be chalking up the scores on the board but the above are nevertheless worth taking notes of because I believe they played pivotal roles in helping me be a better prospective engineer and could serve me in becoming a good engineer in the future.

Was given the task of writing a small report on how useful internet technologies can be implemented to enhance the capability of an engineering company. I was told to write a brief 2 pages report. Kind of got carried away because there are so many Web 2.0 system with so much potential.

Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.

Here’s a small collection of Web 2.0 which can be adopted by an engineering company to enhance its communication compatibilities internally and externally, encourage exchange of ideas, speed up the flow of information with the prospect of improving the image of the company as a whole.


Blogs
(eg http://blogger.com, http://word-press.com, http://livejournal.com)
Blog is a media already been adopted by major corporations like Microsoft, Google, BBC and the likes of NASA. Based on the Web2.0 architecture and coded in a special dataflow model, the way in which the information is delivered is a lot more efficient and dynamic. The authors of the blogs are no longer required to be skilled in the previously required computer language (HTML, Java) before they can publish materials on the internet. A very small amount of time, resources and skills are now required to set up a basic layout on to which the blog entries (articles) are displayed. Using a very simple user interface, users are able to write articles with media attachments like pictures, music and videos. Most blogging system also leaves room for additional coding to be included which will allow the use of advance features such as animated menu system or live media feeds. Using such technologies, the corporations listed above have already gained mass audience and delivered breaking news as it happens with entries similar to an article in a magazine. Employees are encouraged to write their own blog in the form of a journal (where readers can interact with the author of the article via comment box) giving their company human faces which clients could relate to. BBC editors were able to talk directly to the audience and express their view clearly and personally. Programmers from Microsoft and Google are amongst people whose blog are often viewed by software developers interested in the operation of the company. This system is very easy to implement and adapt to an existing website. Apart from addition coding mentioned above, blog can be combined with “RSS“ to deliver the entries straight to the end users and save him/her the time and effort of revisiting several blogs to check for new entries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-vlcc.html
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs/portalhome.mspx


Micro-blogging
(http://twitter.com, http://www.plurk.com)
An alternative of blogging system where users can send in snippets of updates (usually no longer than 140 words) via SMS from mobile devices. The short message will then be published and logged on an update page which will contain messages from the users and members of his “friend list”. If taken up and utilised, this offers a robust communication platform on which members of a team can have regular update messages on the status of other members in a neat, time-stamped and tabulated format accessible from anywhere using the internet! Users will also have the option of receiving a copy of new update message on their mobile phone whenever an update is posted. In cases where multiple agents are “out in the field” (eg surveyors, site visits), such systems would allow the status of each member to be display clearly and concisely and for their manager to monitor their progress in a precise manner, further enhancing his/her ability to manage coordinate the process.
Such updates can also be fed into and displayed on a website or a blog. This system has been used by the NASA to announce breaking news on its website and it has been known that such system was also used to exchange information during emergency events such as the Virginia Tech Shooting and California Fire. The American Red Cross also use said system to provide live update on their disaster relief efforts around the world.

http://twitter.com/RedCross
http://twitter.com/NASA


Online Forums
(http://www.phpbb.com/, http://www.vbulletin.com/)
First taken form as BBS bulletin board during the early days of the World Wide Web, online internet forum is a comprehensive community system in where topics can be discussed extensively using complex “thread” structures. A new thread can be made with specific title with an initial paragraph and other users can then participate in the discussion using the “reply” and “quote” function. Again, this offers the capacity of sharing images, diagrams and other media so collaborations and exchange of idea is encouraged. Major technical company’s like Apple and Microsoft have their own forums which contains discussion over topics ranging from ideas for new products, customer feedbacks, reviews on new releases and technical support. Some online store have also utilised such forum system to their advantage whereby high sale volume was generated from a loyal community created by a forum they have established themselves! However, the anonymity it offers often leads to abuse. Limitations to membership and the presence of moderators are often required or connection to the user’s real identity is an effect means of prevention.

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
http://forums.microsoft.com
http://forums.macrumors.com/
http://www.homeofpoi.com/


Online Whiteboards
(http://www.scriblink.com/, http://www.skrbl.com/, http://thinkature.com/)
Effectively connecting multiple parties at different locations via an online workspace. Documents and drawings can be uploaded and displayed live on the whiteboard where comments and alterations can be added live in front of other users. Some services will even provide voice feeds which means the users could give live voice annotations as he adds creative input to a piece of work or idea.


Google Earth
(http://www.GoogleEarth.com)
The use of Google Earth have already gain widespread acceptance in many industrial. There are not add-ons available which enable which allows further customisable and modification to the existing 3D satellite images on offer. 3D model of buildings can now be imprinted on to the 3D photo-realistic terrains to provide a better project on what a project would look like. Using Google SketchUp or other CAD software packages), designs of proposed and complete projects can be added to the existing Google Earth layer. This is just one small example on how Google Earth can be adapted for the work we are doing in An engineering company. There is currently a wealth of other add-ons available which could also be put into use.

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=36241


File Delivery Service
(www.yousendit.com, www.megaupload.com, www.mydocsonline.com)
There is currently an well established industry on the internet which offers to ability to deliver digital files free of charge up to a certain file size (usually below 100 mb). Such systems offers additional services such as delivery monitor and extra securities as add-ons. Other than a web browser-based delivery system that is easy to use, software clients are also available which simplifies the sending and receiving of files even simpler and more efficient. Such system could in effective speed up the delivery of projects to the clients while reducing the load on the company’s main email server.


Facebook with existing communication portal
(www.facebook.com)
At the core of Facebook is a very comprehensive social hierarchy which connects relevant people with one another. There are a lot of elements from Facebook which can be utilised within the existing communication portal to further enhance the ability for employees to communicate and further develop the community spirit which the company is trying to foster. In FB, users can fill in details about themselves and opt for them to be displayed to people of their choosing. Such profiles system can be used to display CV, work experience and project they have been involved in. The Facebook system is also designed in such a way that events and activities attended by a member are announced to his friends and colleagues. Such a system can be encompassed into the Existing communication portal whereby members of staff are notified of relevant training courses, seminars and ICE meetings based on the attendance of their peers. The Groups section in Facebook could also be used with existing communication portal for the arrangement of team building exercises and other social activities as well as photo albums and message boards. The impact of such social network system can be seen all over the media and inclusion of such a powerful tool, if implemented in the correct manner, could serve to invigorate the social dynamics of the organisation.


Wiki
(http://pbwiki.com/, http://www.wikispaces.com/, )
Made famous by the world renowned Wikipedia, the Wiki is a concept in which knowledge are arranged categorically in a meaningful manner making retrieval easy for the readers who have also been empowered to make their own contributions and carry out enhancements to the existing entries. A Wiki library on how different engineering problems were resolved can be extrapolated to offer an archive of knowledge and past experiences from engineers. Alternative solutions to a problem or refinements to a technique can be later added by other users to produce a definitive interactive engineering handbook that is comprehensive, up-to-date and constantly improving. Such knowledge depositaries have long been used amongst software developers to share coding techniques and other useful tricks & tips.

http://engineering.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://gentoo-wiki.com/Main_Page
http://wiki.debian.org/
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english


Reverse Auction
(http://www.bidjam.co.uk/, http://www.esourcingsolutions.co.uk/)
This is a concept first introduced by General Electric executive Glen Meakem back in the 1990s. This is basically a platform where a buyer can present a proposal and the sellers can bid for the contract to supply goods or service by offering the lowest price. Essentially reversing the role of the buyer and seller, this system aims to drive purchase prices down and provide extra saving to the buyer. Again, because this is an online system, this allow the reverse auction to take place with the involved parties in different locations and without the restraint of a hosting venue, it can take place over a long time scale. An engineering company can make use of such system to bulk purchase or set up contracts for things like stationary and IT equipments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_auction
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/2004_january/14/1692.asp
http://www.telebid.com


Second Life
(http://secondlife.com/ , http://secondlifegrid.net/)
This is the most ambitious and far-fetch online tool but can be extremely effective if executed correctly. Second Life is a community platform where information is presented in a virtual online 3D world. A “sandbox” environment where users can purchase their own territory to construct interactive buildings and models that can then be used to deliver information of their choosing. Using an “avatar”, a model representation of the user, s/he can travel between different maps and interacting with other people and their creations. The best example is the NASA map: As a visitor, you are free to roam a landscape filled with “life-size” models of every space rockets ever made by human. Explore exhibition halls with all the vehicles used in space exploration (like the lunar buggy or the Mars land probe). With a click of a button, the virtual models come to life and demonstrate its functions complete with sound effect and text. At a pre-arrange time schedule, lectures on topics like Quantum Physics and advance rocketry are given via video feed to the gathered audience. There is already a mature community of developers available on Second Life which means a virtual world can be made to any specifications. In other words, An engineering company can have a virtual space where all the project its been involved in are made into moving, 3D life-size models. CDs can be made and distributed to potential clients which will utilise the Second Life engine and showcase the company’s previous achievements in a living, breathing virtual world. Users can explore the interior of buildings from the prospective of an occupant or experience a highway improvement from the prospect of a road user. Automated bots can be included to further demonstrate the overall operations of a completed or prospective projects.

http://www.slideshare.net/musebrarian/a-second-life-for-your-museum-3d-multiuser-virtual-environments-and-museums
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9018238


The beauty of the systems listed above is that they are tried, tested and have already established a mature user base and community. They are freely available to use and are very adaptable in their usage and implementations. Each can prove to be extremely effective as a standalone tool or in conjunction with the existing website, online communication portal and other systems being used within the organisation.

Its been a sobering day as a fire artist. Another fire meet in Manchester, did a couple of dry-spins only to realised that out of the 6 screws holding in the fire wicks, two of them have snapped off due to previous high drops. Having checked my fire inventory, it turned out that virtually ALL my fire gears are under a state of disrepair! The baby staff needs re-wicking, the handles need replacing; Shreds of my fire poi heads were left on some pavement back in Liverpool after a spinning burn-off; The latest casualties only adds to the long list of maintenance work required! It might be just as well since the mother staff need some work done to her anyway, the grips are getting worned down really quickly, the plastic seal at the end of the grips also need replacing. It has been 18 months since the big staff was contructed back in the heart of Mount Pleasant (doesn't have as nice of a ring to it as Mount Doom but nevermind) at the Liverpool University. It has taken me almost as long to build up enough confidence to wield such a heavy and unforgiving staff. Much to my annoyance, as soon as I have tamed it, it is pretty much out of action until I can find the parts. Oh well, I guess if a car need to be checked every 12 months for MOT, something as dangerous as my fire toys should be checked more regularly. To be honest, I am fortunate to have discover it before the loose part come off during a spin and take out someone's eye with burning pieces of metal. It is time to upgrade my fire arsenal for bigger burns!

It's been such a long time since I have been out amongst those from the same racial kin as myself. So much so that I was kinda of dreading it at one point. With my best friend being the birthday boy, my attendance felt more like an obligation. I must confess, the usual drinking games and karaoke frequently the highlight of most oriental gatherings have never been my thing, maybe to the point of disliking it but I actually had a good time nonetheless. It was great to see that my friend has finally found a good companion and more importantly that he is happy and have something to aim for.

Met some interesting characters tonight. Quite surprised by their kindness and how open they were. Perhaps their actions have made my previous errors in judgement ever more clearer. Earlier betrayals have no doubt instilled a feeling of distrust and doubt in me, but to make assumption of many based on the experience of a few was folly. Perhaps I should let go of my preconception and be more willing to embrace everything new. Oh well... Its just another day.

Throughout the night, being in the presence of my racial equals, I couldn't help but reminisce on a time beyond, an age passed, a lifetime ago. A time and place when I was still seeking myself, trying to find an identity of my own from people who appear, at least on the surface, to be the same as myself. Addicted on the notion that I could be accepted for who I am, I found the complete opposite to what I was seeking. The feeling of belonging was short-lived and soon enough, I was pulled deeper and deeper into the wrong circle until it was too late. I got hurt, saw many wicked faces and at present still wears wounds from yesteryears that never fully healed, still itches and stings till this very day. The small social circle magnified the complexity of human interaction, while the label of ethnic minority fostered a feeling of distrust, competition and anger, brewing and fermenting. Further lines of segregation were draw as Chinese of different origin piled into the melting pot that is Manchester. BBC, CBC, HKBC, VBC are just some brandings given to Chinese of different origins and with them also came the less pleasant side of a culture, completely different from what I have previously experienced.

I have came to accept my experiences and my mistakes in the past and came to terms with everything that has happened. I am at a place I enjoy, shown who I am and where I can potentially be. I am luckier than many by far and for that, I should take comfort and cherish everything. Its better to get there later rather than never, the sorrow, regrets and reflection might have been the currency for the ferryman of the river that is growth and development. Good things awaits on the other side! Never look back! Take heed to the lessons learned, pay the ferryman handsomely and feel the brisk wind of change!